Salix carboniferous solid acid catalysts were successfully obtained via one-step carbonization and sulfonation of Salix psammophila in the presence of concentrated sulfuric acid, which was then used in the esterification reaction between oleic acid and methanol to prepare the biodiesel. The esterification rate of the catalyst obtained from the reaction indicated the catalytic performance of the catalyst. Afterwards, the recycling performance of the catalyst was optimized and characterized based on Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The catalyst performance was examined and optimized through the response surface method, and the catalyst was determined and characterized based on scanning electron microscope (SEM), elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and infrared analysis. The results suggested that the optimal preparation conditions were as follows: reaction temperature of 125 °C, reaction time of 102 min, solid–liquid ratio of 17 g/100 mL, standing time of 30 min, and the highest conversion level of 94.15%.

No abstract

No abstract

High‐efficiency adsorption of aromatic sulfur‐containing compounds from liquid hydrocarbon fuels over metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) is challenging because of inert metal sites. A new method, the Ce‐enhanced modulation of MOFs’ microenvironment, is proposed to modulate the –COO···Cu(II)– coordination microenvironment of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST‐1) using Ce(III) as a molecular scalpel for fabricating abundant high‐efficiency Cu(I) and Cu‐coordination‐unsaturated sites and improving the pore structures around adsorptive sites. The optimal CH‐250 thus exhibits adsorptive capacities for 20.2, 28.0, and 58.3 mg S g–1 of thiophene, benzo‐thiophene, and dibenzothiophene, respectively, which are superior to most reported MOFs, zeolites, and nanoporous carbons. The constructed Cu(I) sites show stronger affinity for dibenzothiophene (−0.86 eV) than the initial Cu(II) (−0.74 eV) for out‐of‐plane adsorption. Further, they are far stronger in‐plane adsorption interactions in DBT/CH‐250 (−0.90 eV) than those in DBT/HKUST‐1 (−0.37 eV). Thus, molecular engineering for modulating the coordination microenvironment of MOFs shows great potential for adsorption desulfurization.